War Service Records

[denben]

I knew that one of my family had served in the first world war and by looking through the 'absent voters list' in my local reference library I have found details of his army number, his regiment etc.

Is it possible to get information about his service record?

I'm also puzzled that his number and regiment is different in 1918 and 1922.

[jaq]

hi Debden,
i have the PRO names disk.if he was on there, i can do a lookup .i also have essex regiment assistations.
let me know if i can help.
sorry i cant help with your original question i'm sure someone on here can help.
jaq

[mrk82]

http://www.pro.gov.uk/leaflets/riindex.asp

The above should give you the information you want about finding service records.  See British Army Soldiers' Papers First World War.

I am also intrigued about the PRO disk mentioned in the previous reply.  What actually is this?

Marc

[LindaFromOz]

The pro has the medal list from WW1 on line from A-H. Just got my ansecters medal list which i think received the silver star.

[jaq]

I am also intrigued about the PRO disk mentioned in the previous reply.  What actually is this?
Marc

Hi Mark,
the PRO disks are
 "indexes to some miscellaneous personal names
occurring in documents at the
Public Record Office"
by  Stuart Tamblin and others.
includes:

ADM   104/146   Battle of Jutland Casualties, 1916         4,572
ADM   104/147   Battle of Jutland Casualties, 1916         2,238
AVIA   5/20      Air Ferry Crews lost, 1941              58
CHES   24/186/1   Cheshire Jurors, 1813               64
HD   3/3      Secret Service Pensioners, 1827           91
HO   13/16      Prisoners Pardoned, 1804/5            1,038
HO   20/13      Criminal Lunatics, Bethlehem Hospital, 1799-1843   233
HO   20/13      Criminal Lunatics, County Asylums, 1800-39      381
HO   26/56      Prisoners in Newgate Gaol, 1792-93         1,595
MEPO 4/353      Metropolitan Police Attestations, 1877      1,072
RAIL   134/40      Staff of Cornwall Railway, 1889         457
RG   4/3121      Everton, Liverpool Necropolis Burial Ground, 1825   552
WO   71      Court Martial Class List, 1879-1921         451

ADM   36/10774   Muster of HMS Bounty, 1787
ADM   53/37664   Casualty List, HMS Chester, 31 May 1916
ADM   53/47978   Casualty List, HMS Malaya, 31 May 1916
ADM   104/113   WRNS killed in service, 1940-41
ADM   116/1526   Casualty List, HMS Hampshire, 5 June 1916
ADM   116/1717   RNAS Armoured Cars, Russia
ADM   171/16   NZ Medal, 1845-47/1860-61/1863-66
ADM   171/70   RNR Long Service & Good Conduct Medal,
      1909-12, A-C
BT   98/2421-22   Seamen's Crew Agreements, Bristol, 1851
FO   83/646   Légion d'Honneur, 1856
MH   106/2223   Medical Sheets, Napsbury War Hospital,
      1917-20, Hea-Hy
WO   13/346   Musters of the Cornwall Militia, 1781-82
WO   71/343, 691-1322, 1337, 1350-52, 1414    Courts Martial, 1879-1970
WO   100/30   Medal Roll of the 55th Regiment of Foot;
      Crimea, 1855-56
ADM   1/5123/25   Impressed smugglers, 1824      (157 entries)
ADM   1/8463/178   HMS Warrior, trial of crew, 1916   (731)
ADM   36/16491   HMS Neptune, muster, 1805      (796)
ADM   242      RND War Graves, 1914-1920      (441 to date)
AIR   27/2128      617 Squadron - Dambusters crews, 1943   (186)
AIR   28/529      RAF Medan personnel, 1946      (234)
KB   32/23      Millbank Penitentiary returns, 1826   (335)
MH   106/1528   Napsbury Hospital Register, 1918-1919   (199)
WO   93/49      Soldiers executed, 1914-1920      (326)
ZJ   1/658      Canadians Mentioned in Despatches, 1918   (522)
ZJ   1/1460      BEMs, Birthday Honours, 1983      (247)

jaq

[Sylviaann]

As someone mentioned the pro are making available online the First world war campaign medals.  www.documentsonline.pro.gov.uk

According the The Family Tree magazine they will be available as follows

A-B January, C-e, March, F-J May,K-O July, P-S September, T-Z November

People did sometimes change regiments so their number would change.  This could have been the case with your ancestor after the war.

Sylvia

[denben]

Thanks to everyone for your help.  I had previously tried the medal list but I didn't know the regiment and there were far too many "John Bennett"s for me to find the right one.

I now know that he served in the Monmouthshire Regiment and then the Worcesters and I believe that I've now found the right entry on the medal list (although there now seems to be a problem when I try to pay for and download the entry).

I'm still working my way through the leaflets to see if there is any info available but it seems that because he survived the war and continued to serve in the army until 1922 there might not be any records still available.

One interesting thing to come out of this is the fact that there were military details of all the entries in the 'absent voters list' in my local library - could be useful for other researchers.

[munchies]

Are absent voters listed seperately or at the back of the electoral rolls for each year

[denben]

Are absent voters listed seperately or at the back of the electoral rolls for each year

I have often used the 'Register of Electors' in my local library, Newport City, Wales, and the absent voters are recorded in the back of the 'RoE' lists for each year.  These are recorded by address and give no details other than name.  

Last week I noticed that there was a book just titled "Absent Voters" and this is a separate list which gives the service details such as number, rank, battalion, regiment etc.    There were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of entries.  I was in a hurry when I found this so I didn't really have time to check exactly how this list was made up - I'm going to have another look next week.